Jose Baez says Casey Anthony built 'fantasy world'

In new book, attorney doubts Anthony's mental health

Published 4:54 PM CDT Jun 26, 2012

ORLANDO, Fla. -

Casey Anthony's lead attorney says in a new book that the Florida mother who was acquitted last year of murdering her 2-year-old daughter had mental health issues that contributed to her habitual lying.

In his new book, "Presumed Guilty, Casey Anthony: The Inside Story," Jose Baez says detectives should have realized Anthony had built a "fantasy world," and her lies weren't evidence of guilt but signs of someone with "serious mental health issues."

The book is scheduled to be released July 3. The Associated Press purchased an advance copy Tuesday.

Baez takes aim at the reporters who covered the case, detectives who investigated it and "groupies" who attached themselves to it.

He also criticizes the way he was portrayed in the media as an inexperienced attorney taking on a high-profile case.